Cygnus Rock Band - The One-Eyed Wanderer - live at COP16 (video review)

Cygnus Rock Band has performed at COP16 Colombia in their home city Cali and they recorded the material - both audio and video - at this gig.

COP16 Colombia was an almost two-week-long series of events in the beautifuly city of Cali

yes, it's beautiful, because this is Cygnus's home town, your arguments are invalid

dedicated to enviromental protection, biodiversity and sustainability. To see and understand the high ranked level of it, the president of COP16 was none else than Colombia's minister of environment, Susana Muhamad González and the representatives of every single country in the world were invited. While these leaders were negotiating about cooperations on preserving nature, a long row of cultural events were available for the people, including culinary and music performances. And yes, our favorite rockers were part of THIS series!

Because they are this amazing, that's why.

They had their show on October 29th and they decided to release this video among those songs they performed at this event with the clips the crew of the great local artist Jhonny Umbral has made with the raw audio recorded right there, at the mixing console. 

No studio magic, no post-editing, nothing. That version they played right there, in front of the audience of COP16.

The thing is, even though I have listened the original song at least a thousand times if not more, and I thought I knew every little tune of it.

Cygnus Rock Band has this amazing ability to prove me wrong, and very often at moments when I expect it the least. But this time, dear Reader, I admit, I would have never imagined to be proven wrong with one of my favorite (if not my all time favorite) Cygnus songs ever.

These are the moments when I stare at them with awe, without words, and then I bow to their talent, creativity and greatness.

And I feel fkin lucky to have them in my life.

The video starts with a wide stage view, then it switches to Ruxx as he starts to sing. 

I love these scenes. The viewer can see what an enormous work Ruxx is doing. By default it requires a LOT of dedication and long-long hours of practice (not to mention the rehearsals) to be a band's drummer - and we are not talking about a Chris Slade type of drummer, obviously. (All my respect goes out to Chris, but let's say he isn't a virtuoso - and he probably doesn't even want to be one.) And since Ruxx is singing as well, being one of the main voices of Cygnus along with Deneb, he has to focus not only on being the engine of music, but also on vocals. This means keeping his vocal chords trained, singing out all those smaller and greater legatos that are the trademarks of his voice, MEANWHILE he is playing all those complex, non-conformist, often eighths-filled rhythms of Cygnus's songs. All these, as you can see with your own eyes here, with elegance, playfulness and a grin on his face.

This is why we love him.

Meanwhile we can see tiny scenes with the other musicians. The duo of Deneb and Andrés sharing a smile, then Deneb's bass arpeggio.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH, that's just beyond words 💓 it's like a tiny sunlight through the clouds after days of rain, like a mug of hot chocolate in winter, like a kiss on your eyes after crying. A warm, strong palm on your hand in a disheartened, weary moment. A gem. A piece of beauty hiding among the other instruments. Love at first sight/listening.

Then comes the first chorus.

Deneb and Ruxx join forces and this is again a magical moment. Their voices are a lot different from that we got used to on their albums. They reveal such flavors, such hidden qualities as they are singing that simply can't be heard within studio circumstances. You have to be there, at their gig, screaming your heart out, singing, jumping and melting at least 1000 times per second. 

You can hear here how powerful Ruxx's voice really is, how constant, consistent and stable he is singing while drumming at the same time. You can hear undiscovered depths and warmth in Deneb's voice, that seemingly passes beyond that well-known velvety baritone we have already heard on Cygnus's albums. Here, dear Reader, Cygnus's bassist/composer/songwriter/magician sings with a warm, deep voice that's powerful and radiant, that's more than a warm blanket on a cold night, it's a shelter where you can hide away from the world.

And then he throws his pick into the crowd.

A thought: if he does this here, in Europe at a future gig, I can make anyone sure this will have the same effect as throwing a piece of raw meat among piranhas. The crowd will boil up, a forest of arms will reach out and it might even end up in a savory mosh pit fight.

Be sure I will be there fighting for the pick! 

Just to avoid unpleasant surprises 😁

The second stanza brings more gems. Close-ups with Jota's hands (guitarists who wish to learn Cygnus songs, now take notes!) and Andrés's little improvisations.

This guitarist is a genius. No wonder he is called the Colombian Yngwie J. Malmsteen. You have the impression that he has at least 10 fingers on both his hands and occasionally he manifests a third hand as well. All this he is doing with a stoic smile, as if he was just stirring his morning coffee.

And the way the magician Deneb just winks and nods at him, and Andrés immediately does another trick, shows another garland of tunes as if he just improvised it right there, on the stage

of course he didn't, these tricks are always practiced and rehearsed long before the gig

and in the meantime Ruxx is singing like a stable, powerful engine with at least 1000 HP.

Then comes the second chorus. Deneb's voice is more robust than ever, all-powerful, full of fire, while Ruxx - for my ears - is giving a massive, strong background for Deneb to be able to deploy the real potential of his vocals. 

I sang odes earlier about the wonderful harmony of the voices of Ruxx and Deneb, how they complement each other. This time you can see that these beautiful male voices support each other as well, and I think it's again something you can experience only at their live shows.

Then comes the bridge before the solo, and that brings another gem to the surface.

Though your humble chronicler has already discovered it earlier, I just didn't mention, because it was MY PRECIOUS and it's such a humble, tiny little gem that barely reveals itself, if at all.

There's an acoustic guitar in the bridge.

Though let me guess, the vast majority of you, deaf and blind average music consumers don't recognize it even in this live video 😒

Then comes the solo and Jota's moment.

Originally it's not Jota, who plays the solo of this song on the album. No, I won't tell who's playing it, either you figure it out by yourself or you just continue with your sad, pointless and boring life.

Jota is the embodiment of collectedness and professionalism. Watch him, dear Reader, watch him and look how precisely, how accurately he is playing. Watch him, love him and cherish him, he's rarely in the spotlight, but this is his time and he shows why he is The Legend.

The small pre-chorus after the solo is sweeping. Ruxx is standing behind his drumkit, letting his sharp tenor flow, and Deneb, the mellow baritone whom we got to know from his expressive, flavorful voice is now singing with such a power, so irresistibly that would move a mountain. His voice is deep, full of faith, full of heart and soul, that kind of voice that instantly pours life back to the weakened, the sick and the hopeless. This voice, dear Reader, heals.

Then comes the final chorus. The voices of these wonderful rockers flow, Ruxx flawlessly plays the drums, the bass and the guitars are in a beautiful harmony, and then Andrés shows again his skills in the outro.

Deneb's secret BLEP to Ruxx is priceless! 😍

and at the end of the song Deneb again tosses his pick into the crowd.

Watch this video, dear Reader, over and over again and soak the warmth, the radiation, the masculine power and the love these four wonderful musicians give right into your hands. Soak it into every single pore, every cell of your body, allow yourself to dissolve in it, allow it to find the way through your auditory meatuses into your heart. 

And then keep it there. Keep there their voices, their talent, their smiles, the strong bond among these 4 men, and may it all bring warmth and light to you even at your darkest days.

Because it's with you now, always.